A Wonderful Wife!

Tonight I caught Amanda in our room dancing to some song on the radio with our little Cayd in her arms. Amanda is wonderful. She knows what she came to earth to do and she finds mass amounts of joy doing it. As I looked upon the sight before me I was reminded of what is really important. People make comments about us having 4 kids (which isn't that many. It's not like we have 10!) Their comments seem to have hidden within them doubt as how we could possibly find happiness in such a plight as 4 young kids in the house. Yes we aren't always graced with immaculate cleanliness (or even close), and quiet moments to ponder the deeper meanings of life are usually replaced by loud, tumultuous moments to nevertheless ponder those deeper meanings. Sleep is fleeting and must be done on another's screwed up time schedule. It seems like just as soon as you are able to join with the sand man he pulls your covers off and laughs. These are the only things these people seem to be aware of. The other day some guy even straight up asked me how I could be happily married with 4 kids. It was just sad.
Having said this however, I have been guilty of daydreaming about what it would be like to just do whatever I wanted for a day. To relax in quiet, to read, nap, and play board games of something with Amanda all day. I do tile work for people with this type of life quite often and admittedly, I am guilty of envy at times.
Then I come home and the first thing I see is Bryton just running to the door screaming "Da-eeeee!! Da-eeee!!" a hundred times in a row. Then he jumps into my arms like he has been waiting and living all day just to do that. Then Gavyn has to show me the ropes he tied ALL OVER his room and I see his proud face as he surveys his handy work and says, "It's a trap to catch bad guys or tigers if they try to get in here at night! And then I will catch them and jack them up!" Next Makayla runs up to show me a couple of letters she wrote all by herself. One reads, "I LUVE MY DAD HE iS ThE BEST EN ThE WRLD HE WEL LUVE My FROR EVR" and the other says, "I NO MY HEVEL FOTHR ASRS My PRARS AD OWES WiL ASRS TuM AD WiL OWES WiL." (Translation: I know my Heavenly Father answers my prayers and always will answer them and will always will.) It was her first sweet little written testimony. She came up with both the idea to do it and obviously the writing as well.
Finally, after they are all in bed, I enter my room and see the most beautiful lady slow dancing with the new little man she sacrificed so much to bring us. Yet still some wonder how could a man or woman still be happy after all that? How can they not be?
Please love your families. Cherish every laugh and every cry because our families are the only thing that last forever.
B Russ